Small Business Group Ranks the 50 States in 'Small Business Policy Index 2013' -- WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Small Business Group Ranks the 50 States in "Small Business Policy Index 2013"

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) released its 18th annual "Small Business Policy Index 2013: Ranking the States on Policy Measures and Costs Impacting Small Business and Entrepreneurship."

SBE Council has published the state Index for 18 years, which ranks the 50 states according to 47 different policy measurements, including a wide array of tax, regulatory and government spending measures.

The "Small Business Policy Index 2013" can be read and downloaded here, with an interactive map and slide show on SBE Council's website here. SBE Council president and CEO Karen Kerrigan said: "Policy reforms that bolster small business startup and growth are mostly being implemented at the state level. Unfortunately, federal policy and uncertainty remains an overall negative for entrepreneurs and small businesses. But states vary widely in terms of their policy approaches. The top states on the Small Business Policy Index 2013 are streamlining government and lifting burdens like excessive taxation and regulation. They are passing responsible budgets, and living within their means. The worst ranked states keep treating small businesses and entrepreneurs as piggy banks to fund higher spending and bankrupt programs."

Kerrigan added: "Governors and state leaders who are serious about improving their entrepreneurial ecosystems are aggressively working to change policies that are harming entrepreneurship and business growth. The White House needs to closely examine what the most successful states are doing to help entrepreneurs. These pro-growth policies, if enacted at the federal level, would make a major difference for U.S. economic growth and competitiveness."

Raymond J. Keating, SBE Council's chief economist and author of the study, pointed out, "This study is straightforward and well documented. The Small Business Policy Index 2013 is built on sound, clear-cut economics, as understood in Economics 101 and evidenced by the many studies cited in the Index. Quite simply, the states are compared and ranked according to how state and local government policies impact costs and incentives for entrepreneurship and investment. In turn, such risk taking is critical to economic growth, income growth and job creation."

Keating added, "Small business owners and business leaders need to look at the details for their respective states. The Small Business Policy Index 2013 is a valuable tool to let policymakers know where improvements are needed, so that entrepreneurs can do what they do best, that is, start up and build businesses, innovate, grow the state's economy, and create jobs."

Small Business Policy Index 2013

Rank

State

SBPI

1

South Dakota

34.627

2

Nevada

37.537

3

Texas

39.520

4

Wyoming

44.414

5

Florida

48.863

6

Washington

54.500

7

Alabama

57.758

8

Indiana

58.138

9

Ohio

61.372

10

Utah

62.740

11

Michigan

62.782

12

North Dakota

63.490

13

Arizona

64.590

14

Colorado

65.500

15

Virginia

65.538

16

Mississippi

66.713

17

South Carolina

66.808

18

Tennessee

68.081

19

New Hampshire

68.789

20

Alaska

69.487

21

Louisiana

70.051

22

Georgia

70.307

23

Kansas

71.645

24

Oklahoma

73.392

25

Pennsylvania

73.685

26

Missouri

73.703

27

New Mexico

76.799

28

West Virginia

79.011

29

Wisconsin

80.024

30

Kentucky

80.061

31

North Carolina

80.777

32

Idaho

80.782

33

Montana

81.169

34

Delaware

81.452

35

Illinois

83.047

36

Arkansas

83.462

37

Maryland

84.491

38

Massachusetts

86.408

39

Nebraska

88.476

40

Rhode Island

94.255

41

Connecticut

94.632

42

Oregon

94.952

43

Iowa

97.002

44

Maine

103.264

45

Minnesota

103.486

46

Hawaii

107.070

47

New York

107.213

48

Vermont

107.221

49

New Jersey

109.265

50

California

113.637

SBE Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy, research and education group that works to protect small business and promote entrepreneurship. For more information, please visit:www.sbecouncil.org.Follow on Twitter: @SBECouncilFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sbecouncil